OSHA’s Top 10 “Most Cited Regulations for 2017”

Northbrook, IL, April 5, 2018 – The Occupational Safety and Heath Administration, OSHA, has released their list of most frequently cited regulation violations for 2017.   This is a timely, and pointed reminder for all of us in the heat and thermal controls industry to be vigilant in all of our shop floor and/or customer project activities.

Each year OSHA releases its violations accounting, and one can only imagine what the OSHA Compliance Officers encountered during the year to develop such an eye-opening list.

Reviewing the report, Chris Smith, Safety Manager at Plibrico, stated, “Whatever misfortunes that fell upon the Industry to form the list – whether from targeted inspections, complaints phoned into the area OSHA Office, or reported injury or death, we must all consider how it applies to us in the refractory industry.”

Smith added, “This list gives us important direction for investigating our own backyard to see how we stack up against OSHA’s regulations.   It will help us to navigate through some of the pitfalls that our Industry has suffered throughout the previous year, resulting in OSHA citations.”

What the Top 10 Delivers

The list for 2017 may evoke one to think, what’s on the OSHA Compliance Officer’s checklist as they enter our facility or worksite?   By learning from others in the construction and refractories industry we all can:

• steer clear of any potential regulation violations
• avoid the sting from any monetary penalties
• provide the most rewarding benefit: a safe place to work with reduced risk of accidents and injuries to our employees

Please take a moment to think about these most common OSHA regulations and their impacts:

• 1926.501    Fall Protection                                    6,887 violations
• 1910.1200  Hazard Communications                   4,652 violations
• 1926.451    Scaffolding                                         3,697 violations
• 1910.134    Respiratory Protection                       3,381 violations
• 1910.147    Lockout / Tagout                                3,131 violations
• 1926.1053  Ladders                                              2,567 violations
• 1910.178    Powered Industrial Trucks                 2,349 violations
• 1910.212    Machine Guarding                             2,109 violations
• 1926.503    Fall Protection Training                     1,724 violations
• 1910.305    Electric Wiring                                   1,530 violations

Plibrico CEO & President, Brad Taylor commented, “Safety is one of Plibrico’s core values and a critical consideration in refractory installation and construction – not only for the Plibrico company, but our installation partners as well.   Because of our commitment to safety and as a value-added service to our partners, Plibrico invests in a full-time, on-staff Corporate Safety Manager.   Our team offers services such as safety planning, OSHA/MSHA training, site inspections including audits, and safety monitoring before and during installations.”

 Through the Lens of Worst Possible Outcomes

Smith’s view on the OSHA regulations is that even the least worrisome regulations will still alert the vigilant safety officers of potential accident situations that can be prevented.

“My approach is to view each regulation for the worst-case scenario,” he advises. “For example, OSHA’s #2 candidate is Hazard Communications.   In the worst-case scenario, without the proper review of the SDS – Safety Data Sheet, we can imagine how a new, flammable, volatile chemical introduced to the worksite could expose an uninformed or unaware employee to flash-burns.   That is unacceptable, and preventable.”

Safety and Prevention Is Our Responsibility

Taylor added, “At Plibrico, our goal is zero incidents.   We believe that most accidents are avoidable through diligence and focus on basic safety procedures.   Robust training and communications plans with our employees and partners is key.   Foresight and discipline can prevent injury and possible death for any employee, not to mention the loss of property and production capacity.”

OSHA Regulations are commonly created to provide the industry with guidelines for safe-work practices, policies and procedures, but also written in response to real events, where someone, somewhere has paid the price.   We all have a responsibility to learn how to avoid and prevent OSHA citations like those listed above, in 2018.

Be Safe!

For more information about Plibrico’s commitment to safety and its on-staff Corporate Safety Manager Chris Smith Click Here